Safe Summer Swimmers Are Made In Winter

Winters in New York aren't easy, especially with little ones! Every familiar routine takes extra effort. Sometimes just getting out the front door can be a production. 

It’s during this season that families might question the necessity of children's various activities. At Imagine, we see this time of year from a different perspective. Inside our warm pools, safety is learned. Consistency takes root. Confidence builds. Muscle memory forms. 

The stories below come from four Imagine instructors, each shaped by their own personal experiences. They reflect something we see every year: Safe summer swimmers are made in winter.

Summer Thriving Begins With Winter Learning 

By Max Ginther, co-COO of Imagine Swimming, instructor since 2011

Retaining any skill, or truly learning anything of substance, requires consistent practice rooted in discipline. Much of what is taught in higher education is trivial information and, in most cases, won’t save your life. Learning to swim isn’t just another class; it’s truly a necessity of life. 

In college, my peers and I crammed for midterms and finals, only learning enough to prepare for the test and not retain much past the three hours we were tasked with demonstrating a true understanding. We cannot treat our children learning to swim the same way. As we move further from long days of warm sunshine and creep closer towards the bitter cold of winter, we must commit to giving our children the opportunity of consistent lessons and not resort to cramming in a few lessons when spring arrives.

“There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes,” a Manhattan mother told me in preparation for her children’s lessons on a less-than-ideal blustery winter day.  My children were not yet born when I heard this, but it stuck, and whenever I’m looking for an excuse to not prepare, plan, or participate, however cold, rainy, or miserable it is outside, it will not be an excuse for why they didn’t make it to the pool. Especially when Imagine’s pools are kept at toasty temperatures!   

We, as parents, must put in the work – outfitting them with boots and hats and dressing them in layers – to get them to the pool.  Let’s not take this skill for granted and subject our children to the same procrastination habits we used when cramming for long-ago tests.  Our children’s swim test at summer camp, or in head-high waves at the beach, will be met with confidence and excitement if preparation for it begins now, not as Memorial Day approaches.  Confident and enthusiastic summer swimmers begin their swim journey in the winter.  

Winter Swimmers

By Kyle Ivey, Imagine instructor since 2021

As a swim teacher, I always notice a drop-off when the weather turns cold. The idea of getting wet in the middle of winter just doesn’t sound appealing. But the kids who stick with it, week after week, are the ones who really shine when summer rolls around.

By June, they’re the ones surprising their parents with how far they’re swimming. Last year, a parent showed me a video of their child swimming out to a buoy in a lake and swimming back. They were so impressed, as was I, especially considering that several months before that, we were still working on the basics! Kids who swim year-round move through the water like it’s second nature – because it is. From a neuroscience perspective, their brains have been busy strengthening those neural pathways all winter long. Every repetition adds another layer of myelin around the nerves that control their movement and breathing. Those signals travel faster, smoother, and more automatically. Swimming stops being something they think about and becomes something they just know how to do.

It’s the same for me as an adult swimmer. I train year-round with a team, and that consistency keeps me anchored. No matter what’s going on in life, I can leave my worries in the locker room and just focus on breathing and moving. The water pulls me into the present - I can’t multitask underwater. It’s just me, my breath, and the rhythm of my body. By the time summer comes, I don’t have to “get back in shape.” I already feel strong and ready - because I never stopped. It’s easier to stay ready than to have to get ready.

You might be thinking, “This is all well and good, Coach Kyle, but how do you stay consistent when you just don’t want to go outside in the freezing cold?” To put it simply, my teammates keep me accountable. They make practice more fun, they push me to swim harder, and sometimes they even convince me to sign up for a meet when I need a little motivation. That combination of structure, friendship, and shared effort makes it easy to keep showing up. I imagine that it’s the same for kids, too. I see how their faces change when walking onto the pool deck - in my mind, it’s clear that they look forward to the weekly ritual of seeing their friends, moving their bodies in novel ways, and maybe getting a full-bellied laugh in at the expense of Coach Goofyface (my alter ego). 

That’s what “summer swimmers are made in winter” means to me. We show up, we build a community, and before you know it, those buoys are well within reach.

Winter Swimming in NYC! 

By Julian Myrland,  Imagine instructor since 2024

It’s that time of year again!  The holiday season is underway, and temperatures are plunging. It’s an interesting time for me because this is only my second year in New York City, and my second East Coast winter ever! Having been born and raised in the Pacific Islands, winter was somewhat of a foreign concept, and swimming during the “colder months” was always a given. That was before I learned what a cold winter truly meant! 

That’s why I’m grateful for Imagine’s commitment to make winter lessons toasty and comfortable for staff and students alike. Our flagship pools are always warm and inviting, no matter the chill outside.  Each flagship location is also equipped with hair dryers, coat storage space, bags for wet clothing, and even some festive activities in the family areas.

Continuing to swim through the winter months is key. It may seem a long way away, but this is when strong summer swimmers are made! 

Still, we understand that winter swim lessons can feel less convenient for families. Just getting out the door at home can feel like a large production, as you get your little ones bundled up. 

Yet those extra steps are always worth it. I often find myself reminding parents of the commitment that is needed to achieve the desired results. We have to give children the consistency needed to build muscle memory in the water, and we have to give them the time to build their confidence and safety skills alike. After all, summer swimmers are made in winter! It’s often during these months that we see the largest strides of growth from students, and I look forward to this time of year because of it. 

Stay warm, and happy swimming! 

Ready When Summer Comes

By Evan Nicely, Imagine instructor since 2025

As a swim coach who grew up in the pool—all the way through the college level—I can tell you that my fondest, most confidence-boosting memories weren't just from summer days.

I remember those crisp winter mornings and nights. Walking into the warm, chlorinated air of the indoor pool felt like entering a sanctuary.  When some kids would spend the first few weeks of summer trying to remember what they practiced last summer, I was already ready, looking forward to the opening of outdoor pools and beach trips.

That consistency wasn't just physical; it was a mental and emotional advantage. Swimming year round provided me with confidence that allowed me to focus on refining skills instead of relearning. For kids, this is the difference between hesitantly clinging to the pool wall and joyfully exploring the deep end.